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The sun isn't up yet, but already the large multipurpose
room has lots of tired-looking people eating breakfast, talk-
ing and beginning their days. The room is filled with about
100 patrons, mostly sitting around circular tables on fold-
up white chairs. A piano sits on one wall, and the edge of a
curtained stage has been co-opted into a lean-and-eat area.
Hot oatmeal, grits and pastries are served buffet-style,
right from the kitchen. A table with coffee, spreads and
cereal is popular, and a toast-and-butter station is also set
up.
Diners drink coffee from different styles of mugs, break
open hard-boiled eggs and munch on the food. Some tables
are loud with conversation about last night's game, someone
retelling a crazy story, complaining about Michigan's too-
cold weather or even where to find a job. Others are silent
with people just eating or staring into the distance. Some
are dressed nice and have smartphones and iPods; others
look shabby and have multiple layers of ragged clothes.
The breakfast, in some ways, is completely normal, and
the same scene could easily be seen at West Quad or in a
Kerrytown co-op. Old friends reconnect, and new table
groups form.
However, this is not your typical breakfast: It's the free
breakfast program at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church,
which is a nonprofit organizationthat serves disadvantaged
individuals a morning meal seven days a week.

Since 1982, the breakfast program has been divvying
out free breakfast to all who come. Volunteers and patrons
can't remember a single day when breakfast wasn't avail-
able. A few years ago, an outage left much of southeastern
Michigan without power. All was not lost for the breakfast
streak: Candles were placed on tabletops, and breakfast was
still provided. When St. Andrew's temporarily closes for
renovations or new wiring, the program moves to a nearby'
Methodist church, said program director Shannon Chase.
Between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. every dayof the week, every-
one is welcome to come, eat breakfast and relax for the
hour. Located across the street from Community High
School, the large, gothic Episcopal Church complete with
a tall tower has white text painted on a window giving the
hours for the breakfast program.
The program was started by members ofthe St. Andrew's
congregation and quickly expanded from a weekend pro-
gram to a daily event. In recent years, the program has
become its own separate nonprofit organization and now
rents its space from the church. Many church members are
still actively involved in the organization, but plenty of vol-
unteers are not affiliated with the church.
Most volunteers are retirees or University students, but
some work full time. Others are students from a nearby
high school. Chase said she helps manage hundreds of vol-
unteers throughout the year with varying levels of commit-

ment.
In 31 years, the program has deliberately remained con-
sistent. The organization wants to accomplish its one job
and do it right.
"I think it's easy to spread ourselves too thin," Chase
said. "So we just focus on breakfast every day of the week,
every week of the year."
People simply walk in. No registration is required, nor is
proof of income of any kind. Some come for a single meal or
just a few weeks' worth, while others have been eating here
daily for years. For many diners, the simplicity is a great
benefit of the program. It allows for them to come and leave
when needed - no questions asked.
Azula is a 20-year-old who said he is struggling finan-
cially and comes to the program for both a good breakfast
and to interact with the people. At the breakfast program,
patrons commonly know each other by only their first
names.
"A lot of people forget how to ration their money and use
it for the right things, and that's why this is a bigsupportto
them in this community," Azula said.
For some other local programs, there is a time limit or
other requirement such as staying clean or mandatory job-
seeking. This program has no stich rules, and it's extremely
easy to take advantage of it - just show up.
See BREAKFAST, Page 35
DESIGN BY MELISSA FREELAND AND LINH-YEN HOANG